What does "liberal" / "conservative" mean to you?

[LucyDuke]

Obviously both of these words have multiple meanings. A few for each apply when the topic is political. Strangely, some people seem to think they have to call themselves one or the other. Here are the meanings I hear when these words are used.

• Liberal can either mean permissive or ample. That is, it can mean that a person or policy is open-minded and not interested in restricting others' behaviors. Or, it could describe the perspective that there should be a lot of government involvement in a lot of aspects of life, as in "apply liberally". I would style myself as liberal in the first sense, but not the second.
  
• Likewise, conservative can mean that one wishes to maintain the status quo, to "conserve" tradition. It can also mean the opposite of governing liberally, where there is as little governance as there can be, that one is trying to be conservative in governing. The second definition describes me, but not the first.

When you apply these words to yourself, your fellows, or your opponents, how do you usually mean them? Do you use definitions I'm missing? Do you think they should be seen as opposites?

 

[Samson]

This is always an issue that gets my goat. Liberal has the same root (presumably latin?) as the spanish libre, meaning free as in speech. A liberal is someone who supports freedom. Usually this means small govenment, so I think your comparison with liberal as in "a liberal helping" has anything to do with the word in a political sence.

What I really do not get is how liberal can be used to mean left wing. Liberal to me means less intrusion of the state into private dealling, which in the ecconomic sence means free market, ie. right wing. Left wing, ie. state controlled ecconomies, seems the opposite of liberal.

Conservative is someone who want to maintain the status quo. I am not quite sure how it has become the opposite of liberal, and even less idea how enforcing regime change can be a conservative policy.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I want to know what free technology the liberals picked when they discovered it.

Here in the UK liberal used to be middle of the road policies supporting neither state intervention or socialist policies. These days they are left of the Labour Party but unlikely to win any power except through proportional representation/hung parliament.

 

[Aramazd]

Here in the Bay Area:
Liberal-your average person
Conservative-The people living in the Central Valley

 

[Phlegmak]

Liberal=idiocy
Conservative=idiocy

At least that's what I learned from Fox "News".

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Liberal=idiocy
Conservative=idiocy

At least that's what I learned from Fox "News".

You know, I actually like Shepard Smith on Fox News, not a conservative hack like virtually everyone else. ::sigh:: I wish a non-partisan news station was out there, because I am sick of both CNN and Fox News.

 

[Perfection]

Douse my popcorn liberally with butter but my pulled pork sandwich conservatively with BBQ sauce.

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Douse my popcorn liberally with butter but my pulled pork sandwich conservatively with BBQ sauce.

pulled pork sucks balls ::waits for inevitable flaming from pro-porkers::

 

[Babbler]

I think I can tell the meaning intended just by looking at the context.

I live in Canada, so liberal and conservative often means the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party (and past incarnations). Then I think of the North American definition of "left-wing" and "right-wing".

What I really do not get is how liberal can be used to mean left wing. Liberal to me means less intrusion of the state into private dealling, which in the ecconomic sence means free market, ie. right wing. Left wing, ie. state controlled ecconomies, seems the opposite of liberal.

My guess: In North America, socialist parties never that strong, so it was up to the traditional liberal parties to implement the welfare state.

 

[Perfection]

pulled pork sucks balls

I'm at a loss of words.

 

[Margim]

This is always an issue that gets my goat. Liberal has the same root (presumably latin?) as the spanish libre, meaning free as in speech. A liberal is someone who supports freedom. Usually this means small govenment, so I think your comparison with liberal as in "a liberal helping" has anything to do with the word in a political sence.

What I really do not get is how liberal can be used to mean left wing. Liberal to me means less intrusion of the state into private dealling, which in the ecconomic sence means free market, ie. right wing. Left wing, ie. state controlled ecconomies, seems the opposite of liberal.

Conservative is someone who want to maintain the status quo. I am not quite sure how it has become the opposite of liberal, and even less idea how enforcing regime change can be a conservative policy.

In Australia, the Liberal Party is economically liberal, as you've described here... however, it is also our socially conservative party. Thus, the liberals are indeed the conservatives.
The Australian Labor Party is our slightly left of centre, and are more socially liberal.

Its enough to give anyone a headache.

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

I'm at a loss of words.

Mark this day down, Perfection is at a loss for words

 

[GenMarshall]

Liberal = Progressive
Conservative = Keeping the status quo

 

[.Shane.]

They're a way to dismiss people w/out discussing ideas.

 

[Antilogic]

As far as I'm concerned, I use the "classic" definition of liberal, as in, representative government, free speech, and all that good stuff. For conservative, status quo works pretty well.

 

[Yoda Power]

In political terms I associate them with the two ideologies, rather than any left/right wing stuff.

I can also use them to describe a persons attitude.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

They're a way to dismiss people w/out discussing ideas.

 

[Stapel]

I really dislike the way the words have lost their original meanings. Let's stick to what these words mean!

-A liberal supports Freedom, both on economic issues, as well on social issues. This means a liberal should be considered a right-winger, based on economical issues, but a left-winger on, based on social issues. Here in the Netherlands, politics are more based on economical issues, rather than social issues, thus liberals are considered right-wingers. In the US, politics are more based on social issues, rather than on economical issues, thus liberals are considered left-wingers.

A conservative is simply someone who oppose change. Simple as that. In the Netherlands, conservatives and liberals can easily be the same.


Another point of view: Social democrats wonder how an individual can have Freedom, if his boss can fire him at any moment. Not that I agree with this completely, but there is something to it.

 

[Grisu]

Liberal to me means basically what the americans seem to call libertarian. Someone who wants minimal governmental involvement into both social and economical life. Usually centre-right, if we have to employ left-right terminology.

Conservatives want to keep the status quo, perferrring the way 'it's always been'. They're usually 'liberal' in the economic sense but far more restrictive in the social sense

at least that's what the terms mean to me.

 

[Kraznaya]

Liberalism- A bad word
Conservatism- Compassionate governance

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